The power of conscience

AUTHOR

ELLEN TORDESILLAS

DATE

February 22, 2017

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“The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul.”

John Calvin -French theologian and reformer

The turnaround of SP03 Arthur Lascañas on the murders he committed as a member of the Davao Death Squad must have stunned Malacanang, all that it can come up with was Press Secretary Martin Andanar’s preposterous allegation that Senate reporters were given $1,000 each to attend the press conference morning of Wednesday at the Senate.

Senate reporters and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines slammed Andanar for the irresponsible allegation.

Andanar immediately backtracked finding himself trapped in quicksand of dubious press statements with his destabilization angle. The more he tried to wiggle out of his “destab” story, the more that his credibility sank.

That was obviously a diversionary tactic which reporters should be conscious of and not fall into the trap of losing focus which is Lascañas’ explosive revelations of the murders committed allegedly upon orders of Duterte.

Former SPO3 Arthur Lascanas. Photo by Senate Media.

Lascañas’ said they were given P20,000 or P50,000, sometimes P100,000 for every kill they accomplish.

But in the murder of broadcaster Jun Pala, a staunch critic of Duterte, Lascañas said he got much. much more. He recalled:

But what made Lascañas, who was supported by the Duterte camp after his kidney operation despite his being no longer active in the DDS, turn around when just four months ago he refuted the testimony of DDS hit man Edgar Matobato at a Senate hearing saying DDS was just a “media hype.”

He even tangled with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who tested his credibility by asking him about the watch he gave Matobato.

The presscon last Monday was facilitated by Trillanes, who is also helping with the security of Lascañas. Human rights lawyers Cel Diokno, Alex Padilla and Arno Sanidad are providing him legal support.

Trillanes said Lascañas had been bothered for sometime by his conscience for the killings he had committed especially after his kidney operation which he considers God’s way of giving him a chance to correct the wrong he has done.

Last October’s summon by the Senate caught Lascañas unprepared emotionally, spiritually and in matters of securing members of his family. But he felt guilty after his Senate testimony so he sought the advice of a priest who connected him to Trillanes.

In his narration of the murders he had participated in, the one that made Lascañas break down was his role in the killng of his brothers, Cecilio and Fernando.